Seemingly, it all began during the offseason of 1994.
When Dan Marino went down with an Achilles’ tendon in 1993, lefty Scott Mitchell filled the void. While his presence only led to a 12-8 TD-INT ratio and a 3-4 record — ultimately leading to an overall mark of 9-7 and a failed postseason appearance for the Miami Dolphins — the hapless Detroit Lions pounced.
Mitchell was suddenly the hot commodity on the free agent market, culminating in a 3-year, $11 million contract with the team who played their games at the Silverdome.
The lefty flopped, big time.